The History of Goldfaber
In the early decades of the 19th century, three brothers Lothar von Faber, Johann Faber and Eberhard Faber were born and raised in Stein, a small place located close to the prosperous old city of Nuremberg. Nuremberg is also well known as the hometown of the famous artist Albrecht Dürer.
Lothar, the eldest brother, was the main decision maker amongst the three. He sent his youngest brotther Eberhard, to the new world, as his parents' graphite pencil factory in Stein was too small to support all three of them. Once in New York, Eberhard established a branch of A.W. Faber in 1849. In 1861, Eberhard founded his own graphite pencil factory Eberhard Faber in New York.
Johann was also involved in the family business but left the company in 1876. He opened his own factory for graphite pencils, color pencils and other writing and drawing products in Nuremberg. Due to an over-production of pencils, the result of the global economic crisis of 1929, the companies A.W. Faber and Johann Faber merged. In 1932 the company Johann Faber Nuremberg was partially taken over by A.W. Faber-Castell in Stein.
The brand Goldfaber was registered as a trademark for the Johann Faber graphite pencil factory in 1935. Goldfaber graphite pencils were renowned for their high-quality and their outstanding design with the gold striped barrel. For this reason Faber-Castell has kept the name Goldfaber until today.
When the company Johann Faber was fully taken over by A.W. Faber Stein in 1942, the brand name Goldfaber changed to A.W. Faber-Castell. Around 1948 drawing pencils existed in 6 different degrees of hardness, graphite copy pencils in 4 writing degrees and color pencils in 24 colors. The Goldfaber copying pencils had a round shape with gold and blue stripes.
Goldfaber Color and Watercolor Pencil Introduction
In 2017, Faber-Castell relaunched its Creative Studio assortment, introducing Goldfaber Color Pencils and Goldfaber Aqua Watercolor Pencils. The Goldfaber color and watercolor pencils are made in Germany using the latest innovative production techniques. Together with the existing Goldfaber Graphite Pencils, Goldfaber Color Pencils and Goldfaber Aqua Watercolor Pencils now stand for wood-cased pencils in the hobby segment of Faber-Castell.
Goldfaber Pencil Attributes
Goldfaber Color Pencils and Goldfaber Aqua Watercolor Pencils contain highly pigmented 3.3mm leads that are resistant to fading over time. They are available in 48 vibrant colors. The Eco pencils are made from pine wood from sustainably managed forests. They are highly break-resistant thanks to SV bonding. The leads provide soft, rich color strokes. The round Goldfaber Color Pencil is smudge and water-proof. Goldfaber Aqua is hexagonal. It's fully water-soluble and permanent once the pigments are dissolved and dry. To preserve the quality of your water color pencils, do not dip or soak your pencils in water. The wood swells, the pigments become compromised and the pencil will be damaged while sharpening. The pencils do not require fixing. If you wish to protect your artwork, adding a solvent could possibly interact causing an undesirable result. You can display the piece under glass out of direct sunlight for best results.
Goldfaber Brochures
Goldfaber Color Pencil Brochure
Goldfaber Aqua Watercolor Pencil Brochure